Fiber optic networks, renowned for their superior data transfer rates, are becoming increasingly commonplace within all sorts of businesses, and are often found in telecommunication centers. As such communication systems continue to proliferate, with larger and denser network configurations increasingly required, the ability to efficiently reconfigure these systems by disconnecting and reconnecting various fiber optic cables and connectors becomes paramount, yet increasingly difficult. A key objective in designing a network is to strategically place most or all of the routing-determinative connective hardware within a single location so as to increase the efficiency of reconfiguring routing and communications connections. This purpose is being significantly thwarted by the exponential growth in the number of cord connections between respective patch panels, communications switches, equipment, etc., to maintain appropriate network functionality. As the connectors have become increasingly densely situated on the patch panels, they have become more and more difficult to manually insert and remove without making harmful contact with adjacent connectors and cables. For example, harmful contact may cause microbends or other irregularities in the glass cores of the respective fiber optic cables, and may thereby damage them such that signal degradation may occur when signals pass over the deformations. Thus, it is desirable to provide a tool for easily inserting and removing connectors. Preferably, such a tool will decrease the chances of harmful contact with nearby cables.